A simple storefront at 105 W. Walnut St. provides little hint of the creativity and broad-reaching business activities that lie within. Like her commercial space on the bricks of downtown Rogers, Laura Coello, and her design business, LBC Studio, are difficult to encapsulate. She designs products and makes business deals that might surprise her neighbors in the historic district.

“I was attracted to downtown Rogers for several reasons,” commented Coello. “Most important, as a small, woman-owned business, it is more affordable than other regions in Northwest Arkansas. And, I just love the look and feel of downtown Rogers.”

With more than 22 years of experience in design, branding and product development, Coello’s clients rely on her for new innovative product ideas and packaging design solutions that earn placement on the shelves and e-commerce sites of major retailers. She provides the latest in trends, colors, and patterns for products that are eventually sold in big box stores. She can conceptualize a product from start to finish or work with a client to identify what is or isn’t working and make improvements to make it more marketable and profitable.

With dozens of products and hundreds of moving parts, the LBC Studio workflow can’t be defined with anything less than a massive flow chart. She specializes in textiles and toys but works across many other categories like outdoors, pets, housewares and even food. It takes about six months for a single product to come to market and there are dozens of steps to mass produce the products that line the walls of her studio. Whether she is designing an inflatable raft shaped like a giant swan to accommodate you and six of your closest friends or preparing a photo shoot with a fall bedding line, she makes the process look seamless.

You can often see new products in her storefront. Coello creates the designs, specifies the raw materials, presents samples to the buying teams, designs the packaging, and photographs the product for packaging and dotcom. LBC Studio designed all the branding and packaging for Trisha Yearwood’s pet collection which included treats, backpacks, collars and leashes, pet beds and pet blankets. Along with the branding and packaging designs, Coello designed all of the non-food products. The collection launched in Spring 2021 and this year expanded to include pet food which is available at Kroger.

While we are enjoying the advent of Spring, Coello is wrapping up the Fall/Winter 2022 designs for an assortment of products that to be sold through Sam’s Club this Fall. Products include: tumblers, camping blankets, kids faux fur sleeping bags, faux fur animal wraps and luxury throws. This year there will be some additional faux fur Christmas items that will be great for kids, and adults. But…she can’t reveal details because it’s a secret!

Then the cycle begins again and the process of Spring/Summer 2023 product development begins and Coello begins trend and market research and schedules meeting with buying teams to pitch her latest ideas. Coello’s international business operation is an unexpected addition to the brick-lined streets and historic buildings of downtown Rogers.

“For me, downtown Rogers provides a charming, up and coming area to plant some creative roots,” she explained. “I continue to be optimistic for the future of the retail industry that is thriving in Northwest Arkansas and appreciate the business I have with Walmart and Sam’s Club.”

Coello also supports nonprofit and community projects locally and nationally. Recently one of her designs was selected and displayed in downtown Dallas as a finalist in The American LOVE Project from among more than 3,500 entries. The nationwide American LOVE Project aims to engage schools, organizations, and artists in the 29-Piece American LOVE Project Lesson as a positive grassroots response to the hatred and divisions in our country. Locally she serves as a volunteer board member of the Rogers Experimental House and created the design for the giant yellow “X” that is splashed across the entrance of 121 W. Walnut St. She also designed the posters for the March and April Art on the Bricks Art Walk which feature anime and cosplay characters. Coello donated canvas prints of the designs which are available for sale as a fundraiser for the programs at Rogers Experimental House.

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